could march a regiment of
soldiers over this moorland grass for many an hour, and there'd be no
footprints on it when they'd gone--it's that wiry and strong. No!--if
half a dozen men had been standing about here when one fell in--or if
two or three men had come here to throw another man in," he added
significantly, "there'd be no footmarks. Try it--you can't grind an
iron-shod heel like mine into this turf."

"It's all very horrible!" said Betty, still staring at the black gap
with its suggestions of subterranean horror. "If one only knew----"

The tinker turned and looked at the two young people as if he were
estimating their strength.

"What are you wondering about?" asked Neale.

Creasy smiled as he glanced again at Betty.

"Well," he replied, "you're a pretty strong young fellow, mister, I take
it, and the young lady looks as if she'd got a bit of good muscle about
her. If you two could manage one end of a rope, I'd go down into that
shaft at the other end--a bit of the way, at any rate. And then--I'd let
down a lantern and see if there's aught to be seen."

Betty turned anxiously to Neale, and Neale looked the tinker over with
appraising eyes.

"I could pull you up myself," he answered. "You're no great weight. And
haven't those shafts got props and stays down the side?"

"Aye, but they'll be thoroughly rotten by this," said Creasy. "Well,
we'll try it. Come to my cart--I've plenty of stuff there."

"You're sure there's no danger?" asked Betty. "Don't imperil yourself!"

"No danger, so long as you two'll stick to this end of the rope," said
Creasy. "I shan't go too far down."

The tilted cart proved to contain all sorts of useful things: they
presently returned to the shaft with two coils of stout rope, a crowbar,
a lantern attached to a length of strong cord, and a great
sledge-hammer, with which the tinker drove the crowbar firmly into the
ground some ten or twelve feet from the edge of the gap. He made one end
of the first rope fast to this; the other end he securely knotted about
his waist; one end of the second rope he looped under his armpits, and
handed the other to Neale; then, lighting his lantern, he prepared to
descend, having first explained the management of the ropes to his
assistants.

"All you've got to do," he said reassuringly to Betty, "is to hold on to
this second rope and let me down, gradual-like. When I say 'Pull,' draw
up--I'll help, hand over hand, up this first rope. Simple e